To dine means to eat a meal, especially dinner, in a somewhat formal or leisurely way. When your family dines together on a special occasion, you sit down to enjoy the meal and each other's company, taking time rather than rushing through. A restaurant might advertise that you can dine by candlelight, suggesting an elegant, relaxed experience rather than fast food eaten on the run.

The word carries a sense of occasion and care. You might eat breakfast standing at the kitchen counter, but you dine at Thanksgiving dinner with extended family. When someone invites you to dine with them, they're usually planning something more thoughtful than ordering pizza.

Diners are both people who dine and also casual restaurants where people eat. When you dine out, you eat at a restaurant instead of at home. Notice that while everyone eats every day, we reserve the word dine for meals that involve more attention, whether that means better food, nicer surroundings, or simply taking the time to savor the experience.